Antenna



L. F- KLEIS 'Oct 27, 1953 ANTENNA 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 QWHHI. Huw WWHHHNNHMH Filed June 18, 1952 :Il I l l l l I l l I lld llllllllwz@ lllllllllllllll. IWIIIIILMF Oct.- 27, 1953- 1 F. KLEls 21,657,311`

ANTENNA File@ June 18, 1952 2 shets-sneev'z s :Gg-Lf.

IN VEN TOR. q

Patented Oct. 27, 1953 UNITED STATES OFFICE ANTENNA Leonard F. Kleis, Oak Park, Ill., assigner t K-G Electronics Corporation, Chicago, Ill., a corporation of Illinois Claims. 1

This invention relates to an antenna, and particularly to an indoor antenna for reception of television, frequency modulation and similar bands where high frequency radiant energy is involved.

Antennas for television receivers for use indoors are well known, and are made in a variety of forms. Such antennas, as a rule, are characterized by ungainly structure and require substantial space within which the device must be disposed. Frequently such antennas, when assembled, require large cartons for shipment and, in general, make an indoor antenna an aesthetic liability. Certain indoor antennas, made in the shape of variousV articles of furniture, represent a compromise between technical requirements and aesthetic requirements. As a rule, such compromise antennas are neither eiiicient nor beautiful.

This invention provides a construction which is simple, effective, and which takes but little space. Furthermore, the new antenna operates with high eficiency over the entire range of television bands. The new antenna consists of simple components which may be assembled easily and quickly, with a minimum of tools, and which requires a coniparatively small amount of space.

In order that the invention may be understood, an exemplary embodiment will now be described in connection with the drawings, it being understood that variations in details may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention.

Referring therefore to the drawings:

Figure 1 is a top plan view of the new antenna, the dotted lines showing auxiliary arms in a raised position;

Figure 2 is a side elevation of the antenna shown in Figure 1, the auxiliary arms being down and the dotted lines showing an alternative position of the auxiliary arms;

Figure 3 is a sectional detail on line 33 of Figure 2;

Figure 4 is a sectional detail on line 4-4 of Figure 1;

Figure 5 is an end elevation of the new antenna, certain parts being shown broken away and the base being shown in section to illustrate the interior construction thereof;

Figure 6 is a sectional detail on line 6-6 of Figure 5, this View illustrating the mounting of the matching arms to the base'and the adjustability thereof;

Figure 7 is a top view of the base, the matching arms being removed and a certain portion of the base being cut away;

Figure 8 is a detail on line 8--8 of Figure 5 illustrating the attachment of the antenna to the base support;

Figure 9 is a detail on line 9-9 of Figure 6;

Figure 10 is a perspective detail of a clamp.

The new antenna comprises a base generally indicated by I0 supporting a pair of metal impedance matching arms II and I2 extending upwardly from the base to form a V and wire helix I4 coupled both mechanically and electrically to the free ends of arms I I and I2.

Referring to base I0, support- I8 of any suitable shape and of insulating material is provided. As shown here, support I8 may be made of glass or any plastic and has top portion I9 and depending side portions 20. The size of support I8 may be as desired and, in practice, should be large enough so that the entire antenna construction is stable. For convenience, support I8 has a generally rectangular shape as seen from the top. Support I3 has the center thereof provided with 'transverse channel 22. The material of the base is shaped to provide peripheral boss or flange portion 23 around channel 22 at the inside space of top part I9. Boss 23 is annular and provides a rotatable bearing surface for the mechanism.

Rotatively supported upon the top face of part I9 of the base is hemisphere 25 of insulating material. This hemisphere is preferably of molded plastic material although, of course, it may be of any desired insulation material. Hemisphere 25 has centrally disposed supporting boss 26 aligned with and extending downwardly toward channel 22 in the base. Boss 26 has reduced portion 27 extending therefrom, this reduced portion being small enough to lie within channel 22 oi support I8. Reduced 'portion 21 has the end thereof drilled and tapped to accommodate bolt 23. Bolt 25 cooperates with spring-retaining clamp 29, the clamp extending to reach annular boss 23. By drawing bolt 28 tightly up against the reduced end, clamp part 28 will bear against the bottom of the base.

Boss 26 is provided with two diagonally opposed slots or recesses 30 and 3I above the top surface of support I8. Into these recesses are slipped flattened bent ends 32 and 33 of impedance matching arms II and I2. Bent ends 32 and 33 are shaped with the two flattened ends being disposed opposite to each other in a horizontal plane as seen in Figure 6, vfor example. In this position, arms II and I2 extend upwardly and diverge. Arms I I and I2 are of metal tubing, such as aluminum or copper, and these arms extend through slots 34 and 35 in hemisphere 25. Slots 34 and 35 are diametrically opposed to each other, as seen in plan in Figure 7, and these slots are elongated toward each other. The flattened and bent ends of arms II and I2 are so shaped with reference to the hemisphere and the recesses 3 for receiving the tube ends, as well as slots 34 and 35, that, when arms II and I2 are correctly disposed in assembled position, the arms have their maximum ydivergence with the flattened ends tightly forced into recesses 30 and 3|, respeotively.

Attached to arms II and I2 near the bottom are wires 36 and 3l of wire line 38. A suitable clearance opening 39 in one side wall 20 of support I8 permits the open wire line cable to pass outside of the base. This open wire 1in-e cable has suitable connectors at the end for connection to a television receiver or other apparatus with which the antenna is to be used.

Wire helix I4 is made of copper or aluminum of suiciently heavy wire gauge so as to have substantial self-support. The ends of helix I4 are rigidly clamped and electrically connected to flattened ends 4I Vof matching arms II and I`2'. These flattened arm ends are gripped by sheet metal clamps llt, one' of which is shown in perspective in Figure IU. Each clamp has generally U-shaped body Mi with` large apertured ears 45 and small apertured ears- 46. Body 44, near small ears 46, has grooves Ill fornied'- at the sides. Bent end 4I of' an arm is inserted from the large ear end of the body and extends between small ears 461. The side edges of the flattened. arm end' ts in" grooves IV; The flattened arm end is spread to allow' the helix Wire end to be inserted into the aim end. Bolt 50 passing through aperturesI in the small ears serves to tighten the clamp.

insulating rody I axially of the helix hasv its ends receivedby `clamp body 4 just above grooves 47. Thus insulating rod 5I and arms i'I and. I2 form a` generally triangular figure except for the fact that arms .I`I and- I2 do not meet at the bottom.

Between large ears 5 ther-eis pivotally mounted auxiliary arm 52'. Bolt 53 having ornamental' knob 54 provides the pivot for the auxiliaryarm. Each. auxiliary arm is of metal and is` tipped with ornamental plugV 55 at the outer end. The .auxiliary arms are movable from positions alongsidematchingy arms I IA and I2'. to positions .along the axisof'the helix. ''l'ie auxiliary armssupplement the antenna action .off rthe .structure and'k increase the signal strength From .the presently assigned ltelevision channels ranging from 2 to 13 inclusive, we have found that the triangle formed` by arms I I, t2 andA rod` 5-I may be` generally equilateral and'. having` a length of about l5 inches on a side. The length of wire helix I'lI. may be varied over Vsubstantial limits. Thus,.i`n one form whichhasbeenfused to advantage,` av helixA having` a diameter ,of-' about 2% inches with about llturns and having .an axial lengthof about 1 0 inches exclusive ofthe terminal ends mayl be advantageously used.- Auxiliary armsr52- may-have a length-of arounct l2 inches, although this of course may vary. The dimensions given above will vary somewhat with the gauge off metal used; the wal-1l thicknessot theA arms and other factors.

For. shippingqpurposes,:bolts e@ holding -tlfietopy ends oarmsilfl andA I2 may be removed; Flai?-A tenedv bent endsi I I of: arms ifik andf I2 mayv then' be 'pulled loose. Then armsy II` 'and- |21 may bei broughttogether to'lfreefthelower bent ends front the recesses, `asshownlin. dottedllines .iris-Figurel 6; andthe various armsand helix and rcdmay-b'e pac'ke'd in a.comparatively 'sr'n'all space;

In". certain-regions iwhere'- extended bandi cover;4 agej not required; some changes the* nature 4 of the helix may be made to render the entire structure more resonant to desired bands. By virtue of arms II and I2, a desirable matching action is obtained whereby the impedance of the transmission line is properly matched to the antenna.

Auxiliary arms 52 are movable in generally vertical planes as is clearly evident from the drawing. The plane in which an auxiliary arm nioves is generally dened by the adjacent metal arms, II or I2, and rod 5I which is generally disposed. at the axis of the helix.

What is claimed is:

l. An antenna construction comprising an insulating base, an insulating hollow hemisphere on said` base, means for mounting said hemisphere so that it may rotate around a Vertical axis on said base in the normal position oi the vantenna, said hemisphere' having' a pair' di opposed elongated slots therethrough, a pair of metal arms secured within said hemisphere and passir'igv through said slots and diver'ging to forni a gen-' orally V-shape, la wire helix supported between the free ends of said arms, said helix hiav'inga diameter which is ,substantially `smaller than' the' length thereof and having its axis' generallyhorir bontal', said helix being electrically connected' to' said arms, an insulating" rodi disposed axially of said helix clamped to the freejend's` of said' a to render the construction rigid, and a'n auxiliary arm at each end ci said helix pi'vo'tall'i7 VSecured adjacentthe free end` ofthe adjacent arjnr and' electrically connected thereto' and movable in a generally vertical plane,l the' bottoms of Said' V arms-forming. terminals tor said antenna.

2. The antenna according to cl'ai'rn 1 wherein said diverg-ing armsv and the insulating rod form' a generally equilateral triangle.

3. An antenna for indoor' use television and' the like, said' antenna comprisinga base, a" pair of metal arms secured to said base `and being' spaced from each other at said base and extending upwardly and-diverging away'frori each other to form a generally V shap` e,. a generally' hori- Zontal elongated wire helix disposed between the" free vends otsaid arms and being ,electrically oonnectedl thereto, saidhelix having a diameter' which is substantially smaller than its length', an auxiliary metal arm electrically connected to and pivotally secu-red adjacent each .end of thev helix, eachauxiliary arm-being'movable in a generally vertical-rplane defined yby the adjacent arm of the V and helix axis, the bottomends ofthe V' arms being spaced fromeach other and formi-ng" terminals for a transmission line for connectingthe antenna to-a--televisionreceiver or the like.

4. The antenna according-to' claim 3 wherein an insulating rod ispdiSlDQSed axially ofY saidhelix and is clamped to the free ends thereof to render the? helix and V- rigid;

5. The antenna according to claim 3 whereinsaidaauxiliary arms are somewhat shorter than the adjacent arrnsor Athe YV seti-iatsaidI auxiliary arms bel foldediinfclose proximity thereto;

LEONARDF.

References oteain nie' me" cir uns patera" UNITED sfrA'i-Es PATENTS Number Name DateYV 2;,1i4 ;3 5 3 Roberts" sept. V2s", :1939 2,175,363 Roberts oet. io, lesa 2,192,157 Gordon Mar. 5; 1940" agressieieriiis etai'; Jan. 22g-.1950 m5211798* Lennard sept; i2; ieee'- 2,542,884 Trebuies :Feb 2oz 1`95i 

